


After Miranda

by fanwriter135



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-16
Updated: 2013-10-16
Packaged: 2017-12-29 15:11:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1006878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanwriter135/pseuds/fanwriter135
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>River notices the troubles and changes following the events from the events of Miranda (Firefly movie Serenity) and how it has affected each member of the crew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After Miranda

Laughter filled the dim lit dining room and plates of food were passed back and forth around the table.

  
River looked across at her brother. His eyes were set on Kaylee. Things were changed for those two now. After Miranda. After that night. River smiled. He may not have the hospital, but now he has Kaylee.

  
She turned her head to the empty chairs at the table. Wash and Shepherds’ absence was a presence in itself, as it was there lingering in the back of everyone’s mind. She could feel it behind every conversation, every laugh: there was the guilt that they were excluded from it all. But most of all, you could see it behind Zoe’s eyes: the darkness that follows the loss of a loved one. But she carried on as if it were the time of war. It became rare to see her laugh or smile, but River assumed it would become easier given time.

  
Seeing that Mal had noticed her stare at the empty seats, she shook her head and looked down at her food.

  
Mal cleared his throat. “Tomorrow we should be headin’ further out: Jiangyin. ‘Fraid Inara, there won’t be much hor- companion…..ing jobs that far out.” he corrected himself. He had to be more careful around Inara now. Having her away before the Miranda events was like a heavy blow on all of them. She returned on three conditions. Firstly: he had to stop referring to her job as horing, secondly: he had to accept that she would be needing to travel to central planets more frequently and thirdly: they had to decide whether they had something between each other or not.

  
Inara looked across at Mal. “It shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience if it doesn't take long.” She said slowly. “I have a client request nearby where we are now actually. If I’m dropped off tomorrow morning I can stay at the palace until you’re ready.”

  
“Shiny. Trip shouldn't take more than two days.” He smiled.

  
Inara smiled in return.

  
Of course their new romantic relationship conflicted with her occupation, but that was something Mal was willing to work through.

  
Their exchanged glances at the dinner table were not as subtle as they thought though. Almost everyone had noticed a change between them, but kept quiet out of respect. Except Jayne of course, who hadn't noticed anything different. Then again: he never really took interest in the affairs of others.

  
Right now he was dunking his bread into his soupy dinner remains, and spitting little crumbs of bread across the table spread while he loudly recounted taking down a fed on Lilac once in graphic detail.

  
“Hell I showed him!” He concluded, wiping food of the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. Simon raised an eyebrow.

  
Jayne too had been affected by the loss of crew members. His sessions working out in the cargo bay grew shorter and less enjoyable with no-one to share them with; and he came to miss his conversations with shepherd book and Wash as well.

  
After losing those two, those that were left grew closer. They were smaller now, a tighter family who had all shared the experiences of Miranda together. Jayne even gained respect for Simon and River, but their relationship still hadn't reached the point of friendship, not yet anyway.

  
One thing was for sure: while things became different, Serenity was unchanging. She carried them through the vast black, through the good times and the bad, and she’d carry them through this as well. River felt comforted by that thought.


End file.
